Fairless schools on alert during Brewster standoff

Fairless Local Schools are on alert Friday due to the standoff playing out in a Brewster home where a man has locked himself in a basement with a gun.

IndeOnline.com staff report

Fairless Local Schools are on alert this afternoon as the standoff plays out between area police and a man with a gun who is distraught and has barricaded himself in the basement of a house in Brewster.

Superintendent Broc Bidlack says it's a precautionary measure to make sure students and staff are safe.

"Staff and students know we are taking extra precautions," he said, because of the standoff situation in Brewster.

Parents have been notified by the school's emergency phone system and some parents have been emailed.

Bidlack said he and other staff members will decide "how and when it's best to dismiss students today."

He said it's unlikely that there will be an early dismissal. Classes are continuing as normal in the schools and the building is not on official lockdown.

Normal dismissal times for middle and high school students is 2:50 p.m., while elementary students are typically dismissed around 3:35 p.m., Bidlack said.

He said parents will be kept updated through the school's emergency notification system. Parents can also check IndeOnline.com for updates.